


Goor

by Pyxidis



Series: The Mirage Squad [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:07:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24799684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyxidis/pseuds/Pyxidis
Summary: “So I threw him,” Goor said, voice low and thick with satisfaction.Axe and Knuckleduster looked awed and horrified.“Kriffing hell,” Knuckleduster whispered. Axe whistled.
Series: The Mirage Squad [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1767124
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Goor

* * *

**Chapter Summary:** Buruk Squad is extremely competitive. This is dangerous for everyone involved.

* * *

CT-6002 crossed his arms, unimpressed. “Excuse me?”

The six-year-old cadet visibly gulped; he straightened, then narrowed his eyes. "You heard me," he said, voice cracking only once. "I bet you can't."

CT-6002 leaned back, looking the entire squad over. One cadet was nearly vibrating in place, the only thing keeping him from bouncing around a _vod_ 's grounding hand on his shoulder; another cadet was situated behind everyone else, eyes darting to and fro, never making any solid eye contact with anyone; the cadet standing like a right-hand man was making quick little movements with his hands; and then there was the leader, who had... somehow rallied his squad into playing along with this fruitless endeavor.

"You have names?"

Leader flushed, lightly. "Why-"

CT-6002 ignored him; he'd caught the tiny no from his right-hand's fingers. "How bout a squad name?"

Leader paused. The vibing cadet somehow perked up even more. "We're Bravo Squad!" he said, eager and proud.

The eyebrow raise CT-6002 leveled at them all managed to summon even more blood to heat their leader's face.

"Well, that answers a lot of questions," CT-6002 stated dryly. 

Leader’s face twisted, then visibly contorted into a more controlled frown. “You’re stalling.”

“Am I?”

“Yes!”

CT-6002 hummed, condescendingly. Leader flushed again, angrily.

“Well,” Leader said, throwing his hands up, “why the _kriff_ were you asking our names for?”

CT-6002 leaned over - for a cadet approximately the same age, his shoulders were a touch broader, and his height a tad bit more than the rest; but this seemed to be the status quo for Buruk Squad. “So I can tell my batchmates who we’re crushing next.”

The cadet now holding back (by the waist) his vibing _vod_ blinked, mouth falling open. “Y-you’re gonna actually-”

“We accept all challenges,” CT-6002 said, relishing in the slowly dawning horror on their faces. Looked like they were new; they must have worked with the more boring squads until this moment. 

What a way to change _that_ perspective. He grinned. “And we _blow them out of the water.”_

There was a moment of silence. Perhaps Bravo Squad was mourning their loss of sane squads to safely compete against. As if safety was ever a worthy challenge. 

“... Now get the _kriff_ out. I need to use the ‘fresher.”

~

When CT-6002 was three and a half, he’d patted his sulking batchmate in the head and asked what was wrong.

When CT-4833 had told him that CT-4715 was upset because he’d overheard the Nulls call them _regs_ \- dumb, stupid, _laandur_ \- he’d immediately asked his _vod’ika_ what he could do to make him feel better.

CT-4715 had told him that throwing a fruit right at Kal Skirata’s face would do the trick.

CT-6002 had nodded, picked up his fruit - a prize given by the True Mandalorian Instructors for good behavior - and whirled around to throw it straight at Trainer Kal Skirata, who had retrieved his food at that moment and was leaving the mess to eat elsewhere, presumably with the Nulls.

And Kal Skirata had turned his head perfectly at just the right moment.

_SPLAT!_

To say that CT-4715 and CT-4833 were dumbfounded would have been an understatement.

But when his _vode_ had burst into hysterical shrieks of laughter - CT-4833 ducking his head, hands over his mouth, CT-4715 throwing his head back and pounding on the table - not even his punishment of cleaning out the ‘fresher for two months could wipe off the light feeling in his chest.

He’d done _good._

_Oya manda_.

~

It had only gotten worse from there.

Their squad had become a legend to the _vode_ almost overnight - and they’d been named Buruk Squad almost immediately after another Incident. 

(They’d stolen a few smoke grenades off of several older cadets, who had been bragging about finally being allowed to use them in training. It served them right. 

And anyway, they had come to great use when they’d accidentally triggered an alarm as they were nearly done completing an unauthorized training course. One of said smoke grenades had given them _excellent_ cover as they had not only completed the course in good time, but also as they had made a clean escape.

Of course, the duped _non-Mandalorian_ trainers had to clean up the mess. _And_ report their failure to secure the troublemakers.

And there _would_ have been footage, if an impressed Nautolan True Mandalorian Instructor hadn’t wiped the evidence.)

It became evident that Buruk Squad _thrived_ in the face of challenges. But none were quite so devastating in their application as the leader of said squad.

CT-6002 became known as _the way_ to gain instant fame among the _vode_ ; simply challenging CT-6002 was an act of bravery. Actually _competing_ against him deserved a badge of honor (or a badge of survival, but they were one and the same here).

Blaster training went from “who could accurately shoot the most targets in a minute” to “who could shoot the most targets and _destroy the most gear in 30 seconds.”_

“The rotary blaster cannon malfunctioned,” CT-6002 would say, shoulders slumped. But then he’d flash a grin at his fellow _vod_ , and it became obvious that he’d won.

Flight simulations went from “defeat as many enemy starfighters as possible to stop the planet’s bombardment” to “how many enemy starfighters could I _crash into_ before I die.” 

In one very memorable instance, he’d run straight into an enemy cruiser, and had somehow hit so vital a part that the entire ship blew apart, taking along with it the sister enemy ship.

“Now _that_ is an explosion,” CT-6002 had said, smug. He’d earned it; he’d passed the course.

Engineering was somehow worse. “I said, once upon a time, that there could never be a squad worse than Nuhun squad,” the poor True Mandalorian Instructor had bemoaned. “I was _so wrong_.”

In the “Make a Bomb from Scratch 101” lesson, the “make a bomb the fastest” competition quickly devolved into “ _haar’chak_ disassemble it _now_ it’s gonna activate ABORT _ABORT_ -”

Needless to say, throwing the bomb out of the facility had done nothing to temper the explosion that had rattled the nearby barracks. Luckily, it had not actually hit anything or anyone.

“Fastest bomb, biggest explosion,” CT-6002 had said. His tone had been calm and soothing. “I win.”

Rere Lakar, the True Mandalorian Instructor, had not been calmed or soothed.

“At least Nuhun Squad just overplayed their drama.... And tampered with the bombs to make them terrifyingly more transparent to the naked eye…” A few more mumbled complaints had come babbling out of the mouth of the distressed Mon Calamari Instructor. “Poor Belor… how does he do it?”

~

Bravo Squad was in the perfect position to view the spectacle. They’d decided on the signal tower that would be most visible from the window of the room nearest their barracks, and that night they had crowded inside it, faces plastered on the glass.

Buruk Squad knew this, and figured they’d make as much of a show about it as possible.

“After all,” CT-4715 had said, grinning widely, “we’re gonna be the first to _actually_ beat the Rite! _With witnesses!”_

The Rite, as all _vode_ knew it, was a challenge so dangerous that it had only lived on among the whisperings and tall tales of cadet rumor. Apparently, the Rite was the only way to get the coveted _jai'galaar'la sur'haii'se_ pre-battle - and that even the ARC troopers themselves believed it. Many a young _vod_ claimed that it was the ARC troopers themselves who started - and encouraged - the tradition. 

CT-6002 did not care about the rumors. 

He did care, however, about being the first to beat the challenge.

No _vod_ truly _seriously_ claimed to have climbed the highest signal tower of Kamino in the pouring rain. CT-6002, he told himself, would be the only one to do so.

The weather was especially severe that night; the rain was pouring sheets like waterfalls, pounding on the facilities - a constant drumming sound that was a touch too loud to be immediately soothing. The thunder cracked, the durasteel domes of Kamino faintly vibrating from the force. And the lightning was exceptionally bright, streaking through the clouds like blaster fire - or perhaps the _jetii’kad_ that the True Mandalorians said the _jetii_ wielded.

CT-6002 shook his head, but the water streamed steadily on him and on his face. No matter. They’d all known that they’d get horrendously soaked. They just hadn’t quite known that it would feel _strange_ and… oddly heavy. Or plastery-like. He didn’t like it. “This is gross,” he declared.

“No kidding,” CT-4833 mumbled. He squinted down at his batchmates, arms coiled around himself.

CT-4715 made a face, but it was immediately wiped away as soon as he looked up at the signal tower. His face lit up. “This is it,” he said, having to speak a touch louder in the storm. “Let’s show Bravo Squad what Buruk Squad’s made of!”

CT-6002 nodded. _“OYA!”_ he roared, raising his fist.

 _“OYA!”_ his batchmates cried.

And with that, they began to climb.

~

The climb to the top was going well, to be honest.

They’d lifted - er - _relieved_ several of their ARC trooper _vode_ of their vambraces. (It was a long story that took almost a third of the True Mandalorian Instructors to sort out and assign blame. They were, miraculously, not caught). The grappling hooks in said vambraces were the key to their success in scaling the tower.

And as soon as they’d shot a line around the top (which admittedly had taken several tries - it was _raining,_ after all) they’d taken advantage of the sturdy support amongst the slippery smooth surface.

More specifically, they’d started doing _stunts._

“Check it!” CT-4715 shouted - before pushing himself _off_ with his feet and _kicking out on thin air_ , both legs pressed together as his fingers clutched tight on the line-

 _“OYA!”_ he hollered, cackling madly as he swung around the tower, only stopping when almost all of his line was effectively wrapped around the pole. 

_“K’oyacyi!”_ CT-4833 shouted back. He’d taken to holding the line with one hand, using the tower to make it so his feet went progressively higher and higher above his head, until he was upside down. 

CT-6002 laughed - it came from inside his chest, the sound of it a tad deeper than his fellow _vode_. _“Oya manda!”_

 _“Oya manda!”_ they answered.

 _Oya manda_ indeed. As soon as his fist curled around the very top of the tower, he flinched back - then grinned wide, so wide his face _hurt._ “I did it,” he whispered - then he whirled around, looking for where Bravo Squad said they’d-

There. Looking as best he could at the approximate direction of their audience, he saluted, then threw a smoke grenade up at the sky.

A bolt of lightning came down and carved a path _straight_ for the tower- 

CT-6002’s eyes widened-

and promptly _destroyed_ the grenade instead.

A beat of silence.

CT-4833’s eyebrows shot up as he gaped. _“HOLY KARKING OSIK-”_

 _“KRIFFING AWESOME!”_ CT-4715 screamed.

 _“I ALMOST DIED!”_ CT-6002 bellowed, laughing hysterically.

The door below the tower opened. 

CT-6002’s laughter cut off. _“Kriff,”_ he hissed.

A figure stepped out, and the Quarren True Mandalorian Instructor Belor Tess squinted against the pouring rains of the storm. He looked to the left… to the right… and walked the area available, in search of… something. (Or someone).

For a single, breathless second, it seemed as though the instructor would be done with his search.

He looked up.

CT-6002’s breath hitched. His hand went to his waist.

One more grenade left.

Had to-

To-

_Throw grenade throw grenade goorar goore goorar goore g-_

_“GOOR!”_ he roared, throwing the smoke grenade directly at the Quarren Instructor.

Belor Tess opened his mouth, in confusion, indignation, worry, righteous anger-

And was abruptly cut off, slightly choking. He tried to close his mouth, but could only taste cold metal, and - smoke? Ash - the horrible bitter _taste-_

Buruk Squad quickly got down from the tower and _sprinted_ inside, leaving the poor True Mandalorian Instructor heaving over the Kaminoan balcony, coughing out the smoke grenade that was now a pasty mess thanks to the ink he’d ejected to try and remove the mouth obstruction as _quickly as possible._

 _“Hate… kids,”_ Belor Tess moaned, coughing out the _horrible, horrible_ taste, and the _horrible, horrible_ memory. He was going to drink _so much_ tonight.

~

That very night word spread of their legendary deed. Their _vode_ would whisper to each other: “They’ve done the Rite. The ARC troopers bestowed upon them the _jai'galaar'la sur'haii'se_ , inside their reds. _Mandokarla.”_

Buruk Squad was not given _jai'galaar'la sur'haii'se._ Instead, they were given six months of ‘fresher duty, and three months of helping in the mess.

CT-6002 surveyed his work with pleasure. He eyed his batchmates. “Bet I can do this faster than any of you.”

CT-4715 slammed his fists together. “It’s on.”

CT-4833 hiked up his sleeves. “Bring it, _ori’vod.”_

CT-6002 grinned.

(The ‘fresher toilets started shooting up water, after that.

Buruk Squad bumped fists.

 _Oya manda._ )

* * *

**Notes:**

This boy came to life because of [ this phenomenal post ](https://mandowords.tumblr.com/post/183460496496/would-there-happen-to-be-a-mandalorian-equivalent).

Buruk Squad is… a lot. And this is possibly the longest first chapter I’ve ever written for the _vode_. I am shocked and appalled that the reason for this is Shenanigans.

(And yes, Axe as in that soft Giant Clone Lad who's a pilot for the 501st. He never died, obviously.)

Special thanks to my main beta reader, Les, and Gobayern16 for looking over this absolute mess! And also to CmonCmon for the idea of the Rite!

**MANDO'A**

Vod: Brother, sister, sibling

Buruk: Danger

Laandur: Delicate, fragile; sometimes an insult - weak, pathetic

Vod'ika: Little brother, sister, or sibling

Vode: Brothers, sisters, siblings

Oya manda: Expression of Mandalorian solidarity and perpetuity (emotional and assertive)

Haar'chak: Damn it

Jai'galaar'la sur'haii'se: Shriek-hawk eyes; marks of honor awarded for particular acts of bravery

Jetii'kad: Lightsaber

Jetii: Jedi

Oya: Many meanings; literally "Let's hunt!" and also "Stay alive!" but also "Hoorah!" "Go you!" and "Cheers!" (always positive and triumphant)

K'oyacyi: "Cheers!"; can also mean "Hang in there" or "Come back safely"; Literally a command - "Stay alive!"

Osik: Dung (impolite)

Goorar: Throw

Goore: Grenade

Mandokarla: Having the "right stuff," showing guts and spirit; the state of being the epitome of Mando virtue

Ori'vod: Older brother, sister, or sibling

* * *


End file.
